


Poco a Poco a Poquito

by taeyongsan



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), M/M, Pre-School Teacher Johnny, Single Parent Kun, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22527307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeyongsan/pseuds/taeyongsan
Summary: Johnny has never been interested in a student's parent but Kun Qian proved to be an attraction that Johnny couldn't shake.
Relationships: Suh Youngho | Johnny/Qian Kun
Comments: 24
Kudos: 225
Collections: Johnny Fic Fest: Round One





	Poco a Poco a Poquito

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Johnny Fic Fest! #JS42: johnny is a preschool teacher. person b is a single parent who send their kid to the daycare johnny works at and for some reason person b hasn’t been able to actually meet johnny. so when they finally meet each other they kinda end up falling for each other.
> 
> I tried my best! I hope that everyone that reads likes it! I would’ve loved to make it much longer with a better ending but I, unfortunately, was running out of time and that is all on me. I am sorry.
> 
> Lastly, a big thank you to my lovely beta for helping me out with this in so many more ways than it seems.

The preschool was open all year long, but it was less busy during the summer when most of the university’s faculty and students were taking their much-needed summer break. It was a small lull in the year that the preschool needed to recover after running smoothly for the first half of the year. Even though plenty of parents continued to bring their kids every day, each class was still considerably cut.

Johnny’s class had been cut by almost a third over the summer, but now that the university’s fall semester was starting back up, everyone was back.

He recognized the names of some children. He saw their little faces in his mind as he looked at his roster. Most of their parents had very apologetically pulled them out of school for the summer to go on vacation or spend more time at home now that they could, but they were back for the fall. And as always, there were a few new names. Johnny had read over the new children’s information carefully, making sure he had everything more-or-less memorized in the back of his mind so he was prepared for their arrival on the first official day.

For the most part, the new children looked like they would transition smoothly. Despite never being part of a preschool program, the kids had adjusted quickly to the environment, which made Johnny happy. It always warmed his heart to see the kids playing without a care in the world. It was the reason he had decided to become a teacher in the first place.

It was still early in the morning and only about half of the kids were here. Johnny had let them loose to play with the toys, sitting in the reading corner and picking up a book. This had caught some of the kids’ attention and they had come over, sitting themselves on the small rug, ready to listen to Johnny.

“Show me a happy expression,” Johnny said, holding up the book to show the small group of kids the illustration. He laughed as they all smiled at him happily. “That’s good! That’s a happy expression!”

He turned to the next page in the book, but before he could begin reading, the door to his classroom opened. The door had a big glass window beside it and a peek outside told him that it was the student assistant. He closed the book and set it back into the small shelf pushed against the wall.

“Mark is here,” Johnny said to the kids, motioning to the student assistant that was walking through the door. “Do you want to go say hi to him?”

The kids looked in Mark’s direction curiously. Since it was the first day back for most of them, they didn’t seem to recognize him and only turned back to look at Johnny, not knowing what to do. All but one did so.

“Mark!” one of the young boys cried happily, standing up and running to Mark.

Mark barely managed to grab the boy in his arms, stumbling back a little bit. He crouched down and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Good morning, Donghyuck,” Mark said gently. “How are we today?”

“Good,” Donghyuck replied with a toothy grin. He grabbed onto Mark’s hand with both of his little hands and tugged. “Mark, let’s play!”

Mark let himself be pulled by Donghyuck and soon enough, two other boys were pulling him along, asking him to play with them. He shot Johnny a helpless look.

Johnny clapped his hands together, grabbing the attention of the kids. “Mark needs to wash his hands first,” he announced. “He can’t play until he’s washed his hands.”

The three boys that were hanging onto Mark let go hesitantly. Mark smiled down at them and said something to them that sent them running back to the toys. They carefully began pulling things out of the bins and looking for specific items to set out. Mark used the opportunity to go to the small kitchenette and wash his hands properly.

Johnny followed, making sure that the latch was secured behind him. “Mark?”

Mark turned the faucet off and dried his hands with some paper towels. “What’s up?”

“Will you watch the kids for a moment?” Johnny asked. He saw apprehensive expression flash across Mark’s face. Johnny sent a reassuring smile his way. “Just for a minute or two. I need to go and ask Taeyong something quickly. Jungwoo should be coming in soon, too, so you won’t be alone with them too long.”

Mark nodded after a moment. “Okay,” he said with another firm nod of his head. “I’ll get them set up for a morning snack then.”

Johnny clapped his hands together. “Great! Thank you,” he said. He turned and unlatched the gate, stepping back into the classroom as he spoke, “Today is cream cheese and bagels, but Jeno’s dad and Yuna’s mom brought them their snacks, so please give them those. We have some graham crackers for the kids that don’t want the bagels.”

He heard Mark’s faint reply as he was walking towards the door. The kids were distracted with the toys and he used the opportunity to leave the classroom, closing the door behind him quietly. He crossed the small hallway and opened the door to the classroom opposite his.

Taeyong had decorated the outside of his classroom to fit the name of his class. Several pink cherry blossoms were decorating the window beside the door and big one right on the right on the door, welcoming Johnny into the room.

Inside, Taeyong also had several cherry blossom items all around. Johnny looked around the classroom, finding his friend helping one of his kids wash her hands at the small sink.

Taeyong looked up as the door closed behind Johnny. He sent him a small smile before returning his attention to the small girl. He helped her dry her hands with a paper towel and then let her run free to her friends. Taeyong stood up and began walking over.

“Teacher Johnny,” Taeyong said happily. Some of the kids nearby looked in their direction. “What do we owe the surprise visit to?”

Johnny smiled. He looked over all the kids, who were scattered all over the room at the different stations Taeyong had set up. “Good morning, friends,” he said with a wave. He turned back to Taeyong and spoke quietly, “I need to borrow your speaker. Mine gave out this morning.”

Taeyong let out a small sigh. “You’re lucky I have an extra,” he said quietly.

He walked towards the kitchenette, where all of his belongings were in a cabinet. Johnny stood in the middle of the classroom, a giant among all the smaller humans.

“Teacher Johnny,” a small boy said, tugging at his pants. “Are we going to play today?”

Johnny crouched down to the boy’s eye level. “Of course,” he said with a smile. “We’ll play together when we go outside later. How does that sound?”

The boy nodded and then ran away, going to tell his small group of friends. Taeyong returned, a small black speaker in hand. Johnny stood up and smoothed down the front of his shirt. He took the offered speaker.

“I’ll give it back at the end of the day,” he said, holding it up.

Taeyong hummed. “Of course,” he said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to set up for morning snacks, and I don’t have two student workers that can help me.”

Johnny laughed but began making his way back to the door. He waved to all the kids and then Taeyong. “We’ll play later, friends,” he said as he stepped out.

Through the window across the hall that showed the inside of his classroom, he could see Mark holding a young boy and a large backpack in his arms. Jungwoo was with the rest of the kids, further back, helping with the snacks. Johnny rushed into the classroom.

“ _Hyung_ ,” Mark said, clearly distressed.

The young boy in his arms was red-faced and crying, tears streaming down his face. Johnny set the speaker aside and went to get the boy from Mark.

“Hey, hey,” he said, holding the child tightly. He looked at Mark. “Which friend is this?”

“Yangyang,” Mark answered. He held up the backpack in his hand. There was a small name tag hanging from the backpack’s strap. He assumed the boy’s name and a phone number were scrawled across it but he couldn’t read it. “His dad just dropped him off. He apologized for not being able to stay to meet you, but he said he had a class starting across campus.”

“Qian. This is Yangyang Qian,” Johnny said, leaning in a bit and reading the nametag. All the information he had about this particular boy came up in Johnny’s mind, but he pushed it aside for the moment. He tried his best to peer down at the boy, who had put his face against Johnny’s chest. “Yangyang?”

The small boy lifted his face. He had tears staining his cheeks and his nose was running. He took a few shaky breaths. He raised his small hand and wiped his eyes.

Johnny smiled. “Yangyang, hi,” he said. “I’m Johnny. I’m your teacher. You’re going to be okay. Can I set you down now?”

Yangyang nodded, sniffling.

Johnny lowered him until his feet were touching the ground and then crouched down. He looked up at Mark. “Please put his things away and get me some wipes,” he said. He turned back to Yangyang. He took his small face in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “Yangyang, it’s okay. You’re at school. It’s your first time here, right?”

He received no response, but Johnny was okay with that. Mark returned with some wipes and Johnny carefully wiped Yangyang’s face. He handed the wipes back to Mark when he was done and then looked at his new student.

“We’re going to wash our hands and then we can meet your new friends,” Johnny said. He offered Yangyang his hand and after a moment, the small boy placed his hand over Johnny’s palm.

Johnny stood and led Yangyang to the sink. He helped him up onto the small step stool and turned the water on. Yangyang seemed to calm down as Johnny put a little soap in his palm and told him he had to wash his hands for twenty seconds. He counted out loud, noticing that Yangyang was able to count until they reached nine. When Yangyang’s hands were clean, Johnny turned off the faucet and motioned to the paper towel dispenser.

“Dry your hands with one of those,” he said.

Yangyang stepped off the step stool and reached for a paper towel. He dried his hands and then looked at Johnny with wide eyes. They were still a little puffy, but he didn’t look like he would cry anytime soon.

“What’s next?” Yangyang’s voice was sweet and cute. 

Johnny smiled. He looked towards the bin for paper towels and Yangyang followed. “It goes in there,” he said. “Then we can play.”

Yangyang quickly hurried to discard the paper towel and then looked around the room. He looked awed by it all. Johnny almost laughed. In all of his distress, Yangyang hadn’t been able to take everything in but now, it was all there for him.

“Come, come,” Johnny said, walking towards one of the stations he had set up. A few boys were playing there, setting up some elaborate block towers. “Friends, this is Yangyang. It’s his first day.”

Yangyang stood a little back, but Johnny motioned for him to join and when he stepped up to the boys, they were quick to tell him what they wanted him to do, pushing over the box with all the blocks.

Satisfied, Johnny let them be. He made his way to the kitchenette where Mark was sorting out the fridge.

“Mark?”

Mark stood up quickly. “Yes?”

“When Yangyang Qian’s dad comes to pick him up, please tell me. I’d like to properly meet him,” Johnny said. “I’d also like to explain Yangyang’s All About Me poster and the other activities the kids are going to be doing these coming week.”

“Of course,” Mark said with a nod. “I’ll let you know.”

Johnny looked back over at Yangyang, who was now happily playing with some of the other kids.

He was surprised. He always met parents of new kids on the first day, during the first drop-off. He prided himself on the fact that no matter who or where he taught, he had managed to get many of his parents involved in the various things the kids did in the classroom. He knew the parents as much as he knew their children. But for him to not be able to meet Yangyang’s father at such an important moment was baffling to him. Had he waited a minute or two to get the speaker from Taeyong, he would have been able to.

Johnny had all of Yangyang’s information. The moment Mark told him his name, Johnny had already pulled up the mental file that held everything he needed to know about Yangyang Qian. Johnny knew that his birthday was on October 10 and that he lived about a half-hour away. Yangyang had two emergency contacts, both of them his uncles. And he knew the name, email, and phone number of Yangyang’s dad. But it wasn’t right for Johnny to know all of this information without actually _knowing_ the people it was about, especially the parent.

It was one parent, Johnny told himself. And he would meet them at the end of the day when Yangyang was getting picked up. It would be fine. There was no use scolding himself now.

* * *

“Do not tell me that was Yangyang’s dad,” Johnny said, exasperated. He looked at the back of the retreating man dressed in a coat and jeans, disappearing beyond the door that led into their small building. He turned his gaze towards Mark.

Mark opened his mouth but closed it after a second. He held up Yangyang’s backpack. “He said he packed Yangyang his snacks so I’m going to put them away now,” he said instead of answering Johnny’s question, backing up and turning around to walk to the kitchenette.

Johnny sighed.

He caught sight of Yangyang, already washing his hands by himself with Jungwoo watching, while four boys waited for him impatiently.

While he was frightened by the change in environment on the first day, Yangyang had quickly adjusted and by the end of the first day, he was running around without a care in the world. He had taken to befriending some of the other boys in Johnny’s class, the five of them sticking to each other all day every day since then.

That first day was almost a month ago.

Johnny had managed to meet all of his students’ parents. All of them but one.

He had yet to meet Yangyang Qian’s father.

Mark had met him, several times. He was the one that took Yangyang’s things when he was dropped off and made sure that he was signed in properly most days. According to Mark, Yangyang’s dad was rather young and handsome, almost to the point that he couldn’t believe he was Yangyang’s father and not his older brother. Johnny tried scolding him for making such an observation, but Mark insisted it was true.

“He just… looks too young to be a dad,” Mark told him the week before. “And I mean, he said he’s taking classes at the university too, so…”

Johnny didn’t have access to more information about Yangyang’s dad so he didn’t know. But he didn’t believe that Yangyang’s father was as young as Mark and still taking classes at the university. Perhaps he _taught_ them. That seemed more plausible for him.

It was just that Yangyang’s father was simply amazing, which was why Johnny found it hard to believe that he could be in his early twenties. 

During the first week, Mark had been the one to tell him about the All About Me poster that Johnny asked parents to make for their kids. It could be a simple poster with a few things, just some pictures of the family and a few words for each one, and most parents did just that. The purpose of the poster was to help their kids. If a child was feeling sad, they could go look at their poster and see the photos of their parents, siblings, pets, and whatnot.

At the end of that week, Mark had been handed a small poster decorated with photos of Yangyang posing with other people and animals. His dad had gone through the effort of writing out Yangyang’s name in bright red paint across the top and added various little stickers around the poster. He had written out cute descriptions under each picture as well.

Johnny had hung it up on the wall with the rest of the posters and Yangyang had been very pleased with it, pointing it out to all of his friends. It was one of the posters that stood out a bit more. Johnny always appreciated the effort parents put into it, but when parents went a little above and beyond, he was left in awe.

And the week before, when Jungwoo was the one making sure that Yangyang was signed in, Yangyang’s father had signed up to be part of the snack rotation. Since only very few parents were signed up for that, Johnny provided most of the snacks out of his pocket, which was okay with him because they were for the kids, but to have another parent on board was fantastic news.

Johnny had even received an email from Yangyang’s father about it a few nights ago.

_Mr. Seo,_

_This is Yangyang’s dad, Kun. I’m sorry we haven’t officially met yet. I’ve been rather busy. Yangyang is eager for me to meet you, so I’ll have to stay a little longer and see if I can catch you sometime this week._

_A few days ago, I spoke with one of the other teachers and signed up for the snack rotation. He was very kind and gave me a list of approved snacks. I wanted to confirm with you. I’ll be ready for the first two weeks of October._

There was no way that Yangyang’s father was Mark’s age and was able to do all that because, from Johnny’s experience, _that_ was the work that most older parents did for their kids.

Regardless, Johnny hoped that he would get to meet Yangyang’s father soon. He wanted to confirm that Mr. Qian was a real, living being and not a ghost of a person that Johnny would have to chase after the rest of the year.

He gave Mark’s back a small scowl before going to help one of the girls that wanted to pull out the costumes for dress-up, putting aside the thoughts of Mr. Qian and his extensive participation in Yangyang’s education this far into the year.

* * *

Third-party pickups were not too common. But sometimes parents knew they were going to be busy and they informed Johnny that one of the emergency contacts would be picking up their children in advance. In the case of emergencies, parents called the front desk and the front desk would call Johnny. The emergency contact was allowed to take the child after verifying they were the emergency contact.

Yangyang’s emergency contact was someone named Sicheng Dong. Johnny didn’t know much about Sicheng Dong, other than he was listed as ‘uncle’ on Yangyang’s emergency contact sheet, but it wasn’t his business to know either.

He must’ve been closer to Johnny’s age, but his face had a softness to it that made him look younger. Johnny was surprised when the young man appeared at his classroom door. 

He greeted Johnny and waited as Johnny went outside into the play yard to get Yangyang. He looked glum as Johnny told him it was time for him to go home. He stopped his car racing with the other boys in the class, giving them a wave goodbye as they went back into the small classroom.

But then Yangyang seemed very pleased to be leaving when he saw his uncle standing by the door of the classroom. He straightened up and tilted his head, a smile spreading over his face slowly. Once it seemed to register, he ran over to him, arms open. Johnny called out a weak ‘be careful’ but Yangyang was already a few steps away from his uncle.

The young man swooped Yangyang up and placed him onto his hip, greeting him quietly. Yangyang quickly showed him the back of his hand, where Johnny had stamped a smiley face earlier for his good behavior.

Johnny smiled, grabbing Yangyang’s backpack from the hook it was on by the door. “Yangyang did great today,” he said as he made his way over, stopping in front of them. He lifted Yangyang’s backpack to hand over. “He made a very beautiful painting for today’s activity. It’s drying on the rack now, but he can take it home tomorrow.”

The man took the backpack in his other hand. “Thank you so much,” he said. He sounded a bit apologetic with his next words. “I’m sorry that his dad couldn’t come. There was a last-minute emergency.”

“I understand,” Johnny answered. The smile on his face did not falter. He looked at Yangyang. “See you tomorrow, Yangyang.”

The young boy smiled and waved at Johnny.

The man left with Yangyang shortly after and Johnny turned his attention to picking up the various stations. He placed the books onto the small shelf against the wall and collected all the colorful blocks that had been missed during cleaning time.

Once he finished picking up, he went to the phone that hung on the wall. He picked it up and punched in the extension for the front office.

“Hello?” he heard after a moment.

“Good afternoon,” Johnny said in Korean. He smiled to himself when she laughed on the other end. 

“Oh, Youngho, good afternoon!” she exclaimed back in Korean. 

“Calling to update for the hour,” he said, switching back to English.

He heard the click of her computer mouse and then the click of a pen. “Ready. Tell me. How many friends do we have now?”

Johnny looked to the large wall of windows that faced the play yard. Mark and Jungwoo were standing outside, watching the remaining kids. He quickly counted their heads once again. Six.

“Six friends now.” 

“Six friends,” she responded. “I’ve got it. Thank you, Johnny!”

“Thanks,” he said, putting the phone back onto the receiver. 

It was nearly the late afternoon and most parents had come by to pick up their kids. Johnny’s class had decreased in size dramatically after lunch hour. Instead of nineteen kids, he had six now. Taeyong’s class across the hall also shrunk in size. It wouldn’t be long before he let the kids out to play with the ones left in Johnny’s class.

Johnny went back outside, making sure the door was closed securely behind him. He made his way to Mark and Jungwoo, who seemed to be complaining about a class they had. He listened to them for a while, making a few passing comments about what they had to say. It had been a while since Johnny had complained about something like a class he had to take but he remembered the feeling well.

“It’s all worth it once you have your own,” Johnny said, catching the attention of both of them. “Once you receive your first class and see your room for the first time, you forget about all of those things.”

“I’m still around two years away from that,” Mark said. He sighed. “Well, you’re right, hyung.”

Johnny couldn’t remember much of his university experience, but he knew that he had appreciated it once he got his first job at an elementary school. That had been years ago. Johnny had worked at three schools since then and had memories of all of his classes with a different batch of kids.

“Mr. Seo!”

Johnny turned and looked towards the gate that separated the play yard from the other yards and buildings. He spotted a man, waving at him. He looked towards the remaining kids.

“Anne, your dad is here,” he said, grabbing the attention of a young girl playing in the small plastic house placed over the grassy area.

She ran over and took Johnny’s offered hand. He walked back inside the classroom and she rushed to get her belongings herself as Johnny moved to the classroom door, where her father was already waiting. He greeted him with a smile.

Anne came back and took her father’s hand.

“Thank you, Mr. Seo,” the man said.

“Anne was great today,” Johnny said. “Have a great afternoon. Until tomorrow, Anne!”

He waved at her and she returned the gesture as her dad led her out of the classroom. The door closed with a small click. Outside in the hall, Anne’s father signed her out and then the two left the building, disappearing behind the walls.

Five kids were left.

Johnny did not doubt that they would all be picked up before the next hour ended.

* * *

Yangyang had a big smile on his face as he marched into the classroom.

“Hello, Yangyang,” Johnny said, watching as Yangyang put away his belongings. He tilted his head. “You seem very happy this morning.”

“Good morning, Teacher Johnny,” Yangyang replied. He turned around and pointed to something on his shirt. “It’s my birthday today.”

Johnny squinted and looked at the small sticker Yangyang was pointing to. It was a small sticker that read ‘Birthday Boy’.

“Oh.” Johnny clapped his hands together. “Well, happy birthday, Yangyang. How old are you today?”

Yangyang seemed to think about it for a moment, humming and looking up at the ceiling pensively. “I’m…” He raised one, two, three small fingers. Johnny subtly shook his head when Yangyang looked at him for approval. Yangyang raised one more. “Four!”

“Four!” Johnny exclaimed. “You’re so grown up!”

Yangyang nodded. “My dad said that, too!”

Johnny kept the smile on his face, but his voice lacked enthusiasm. “Your dad, huh…”

The ever-elusive Mr. Qian. 

Of course, Yangyang did not catch the shift in Johnny’s tone. He simply pulled off his coat and tossed it into the small cubby where he had just put his backpack.

Johnny frowned. “Yangyang,” he said, catching his attention. “Please keep your cubby tidy.”

“Oh!” Yangyang exclaimed, eyes widening. “Sorry!”

He turned around and carefully picked up his coat, hanging it on the small hook in the back of his cubby. He looked at Johnny. When Johnny nodded his head in approval, Yangyang smiled again.

“Yangyang, please wash your hands,” Jungwoo’s voice sounded from the other side of the room.

Johnny motioned for him to go, watching as he hurried over to Jungwoo. Yangyang began to speak excitedly to him, telling him about a toy that his dad surprised him with earlier in the morning. Johnny looked away from the pair and towards the other kids.

Mark was helping set them up for the morning snack. He wasn’t having too much trouble. Johnny shook away the intrusive thoughts and jumped into action, gently herding the few kids that were straying towards the toys back to the small tables. He helped them into the tiny chairs as Mark continued to go around, taping the paper plates down to the table and placing the fruit slices that Johnny had prepared for the day onto them.

“Yangyang,” Johnny said, motioning for him to come over.

He rushed over and sat in the chair Johnny had pulled out. Yangyang was always the last to arrive in the small friend group he made, but the four boys always saved him a seat. And today, Johnny had been the one to make sure no one took the chair that was reserved for Yangyang, knowing how something so small as this could turn into a big situation.

Yangyang looked around the table and counted under his breath. “One, two, three,” he whispered. He looked up at Johnny. “Where is four?”

Johnny looked around the small table. “Jaemin is sick,” Johnny answered, remembering that Jaemin’s mother had emailed him late last night to tell him he wouldn’t be coming today. The table did look a little odd without the five boys around it. “And since he’s sick, he can’t come today.”

“Sick?” Donghyuck asked with a small gasp. “Is he at the hospital?”

“No, no,” Johnny said. He laughed quietly. “He’s at home with his mom.”

“Can we go visit him?”

“No, we cannot, Jeno,” Johnny said, biting the inside of his cheek to not burst out laughing. He received a small chorus of groans. Johnny smiled at the four boys. “Eat your snack and then you can play,” he said to them, leaving them to check on the remaining tables.

He helped a few of the kids and encouraged them to eat the fruit slices, promising that he would read a few books and let them play once they finished. They all seemed entertained amongst themselves once everyone had been served and Johnny stepped back to look over all of the tables.

Jungwoo had gone to pick up the rest of the room despite knowing that the kids would just go and pull out all the toys once they had their snack. Mark had gone into the kitchenette to clean up a bit.

It was a quiet day.

The sky outside was rather cloudy and it looked like it would rain a bit, but the entire play yard was covered by a large tarp. As long as the kids didn’t venture out of the play yard, they would be able to head outside once it got closer to noon.

“It’s my birthday!”

Johnny turned back to the table of the boys. Yangyang was showing each of them the sticker on his shirt, very satisfied by the interested reaction he received from his friends.

“I’m four,” he said to them.

“Four? I’m four, too!” Donghyuck exclaimed.

This was followed by Jeno and Renjun calling out their ages as well. Before Johnny could tell them that they were all four-years-old, they had all begun exclaiming loudly and Johnny could sense a small argument begin to brew among the small group.

“Hey, friends,” Johnny called out, “Please sit and speak nicely.”

The four of them sat back in their seats, grumbling and looking very unhappy, but after a moment, they seemed to forget and their conversation shifted towards a children’s movie that had come out.

“Teacher Johnny, I’m done,” a small voice called out.

Johnny’s attention shifted to the source. It was a small girl, Eunbin. She got up from her spot at her table. Johnny picked up her plate and handed it to her, watching as she went to the bin and tossed it inside.

“Thank you, Eunbin,” Johnny said. “Please wash your hands and then you can go play.”

One by one, the kids began to finish. Johnny helped them in picking up their plates, but they all tossed them away and hurried to wash their hands by themselves, with Mark watching over them and counting the seconds with them.

Soon enough, all the tables were empty and Johnny was pulled into the corner, small hands trying to hand him different books. He got everyone to settle down and sit, taking one of the offered books.

In the back, Mark and Jungwoo began to set up for the activity they would be doing later on after some playtime.

“Commotion in the ocean,” Johnny read, showing the kids in front of him the cover of the book he held. “Can someone tell me what this book might be about?”

He received an enthusiastic response, several small hands shooting up, ready to answer. He laughed.

“Yes, Mia,” he said, looking at her. She quickly stood up, smoothing down her skirt, waiting for Johnny to ask her again. He smiled. “Please tell me what you think the book will be about.”

* * *

The end of October drew nearer and nearer. Soon, it was time to schedule parent check-ins. He had sent out the request forms early in the month and had received all of them back. He had met with almost every parent or guardian. There were only a few remaining.

And one of those left was someone that Johnny had been trying to meet for nearly two months now. When he received Yangyang’s request form back, he had been amazed that he would finally be meeting Mr. Qian.

Now that the day had come, Johnny realized that Mr. Qian was perhaps a bit further from what he expected. And he hated to admit it, but Mark was right.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you,” Johnny said, giving the man before him a small bow.

The man smiled and Johnny was caught off guard by the sight. “It is my fault we haven’t properly met until now,” he said. He offered his hand and Johnny took it. His handshake was firm. “Kun Qian, though you might already know that.”

Johnny wasn’t sure how to answer that. He smiled instead. “Well, Mr. Qian,” he started, “Yangyang did very well today. We painted a bit with the other class in the morning and Yangyang has his work in his backpack for you to see.”

“Oh!” Mr. Qian looked at Yangyang, who was happily holding onto him, arms wrapped around his leg. “We’ll have to see it when we get home.”

“Well, for now, please step inside,” Johnny said. He walked back, pushing the classroom door open. He stepped over the threshold and motioned for Mr. Qian to come inside.

Mr. Qian said something to Yangyang and Johnny was surprised that he managed to understand the words. “Yangyang, let go,” he said quietly. Yangyang blinked up at him. “Let’s go inside with your teacher.”

Mr. Qian looked up at Johnny and gave him an apologetic smile. Johnny smiled back, not wanting to tell Mr. Qian that he understood Mandarin quite well. He only motioned for Yangyang to come back inside. Yangyang let go of his father’s legs and skipped back inside the classroom, his big backpack bouncing up and down as he rushed to the toys.

He looked at Johnny once he had already pulled out the tub with building blocks. “Teacher Johnny, can I play with the blocks?” he asked.

Johnny wasn’t sure why Yangyang was asking. He had a block in each hand and was ready to set them down. “Of course,” Johnny replied anyway, earning a laugh from Mr. Qian beside him.

Yangyang cheered and began to excitedly pull out more blocks from the plastic tub.

“Mr. Qian,” Johnny said, turning to look at Yangyang’s father.

It was like his body couldn’t help itself. His breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of Mr. Qian’s profile. The awful fluorescent lighting of the classroom was enough to make everyone look a bit worse, but it seemed like Mr. Qian was immune to such tricks.

Johnny saw it now. 

Mark had said he looked much younger, and he did. They weren’t close enough that they were touching, but Johnny could see the clearness of Mr. Qian’s pale skin from this distance. His eyes were big and wide, and the light that caught on them made it look like they were sparkling. It gave him an even more youthful glow.

He was young. His slightly round face didn’t help. Johnny knew it was wrong of him to think this, but he wondered just how young Mr. Qian was. Was he around Johnny’s age?

“Mr. Qian,” Johnny said again, pushing away the intrusive thoughts. This was a _parent_ , he reminded himself. Johnny took a few strides towards the small tables where the kids sat. He motioned to a chair. “Please sit.”

Mr. Qian looked down at the small chairs meant for the kids. “I suppose you don’t have anything adult-sized here, do you?” he asked, looking up at Johnny and meeting his eyes. There it was. A sparkly, glittery look in his eyes. He was teasing.

Johnny’s face grew warm as he stuttered over his words. “Oh, uh―,” he let out an awkward laugh, “―um, we do not… have anything adult-sized.”

Mr. Qian laughed. It was a very breathy sound that caught Johnny off guard. Despite his comment, Mr. Qian pulled out a small chair and sat down. Like most adults that sat in the chairs, he looked much too big for it. It was a very comical sight.

Johnny had gotten over laughing years ago, but when Mr. Qian looked up at him and blinked, Johnny had to bite on the inside of his cheek to hold back the laugh that threatened to come out. He looked away and pulled out the chair across from Mr. Qian.

He was much taller than most people so it took a moment for him to adjust and find a comfortable position in the small chair. Even then, it felt a bit awkward, his long legs turned to the side as the rest of his body faced forward. Mr. Qian looked at him curiously, but Johnny said nothing, only moving ahead with what he had planned.

He had prepared everything beforehand. There was a folder on the table and Johnny reached for it, opening it up.

“Though I send most of Yangyang’s work home with him, I have kept a few things that he has completed to assess his progress,” Johnny began, pulling out the first thing on top. He offered it to Mr. Qian, who looked it over intently. “This is when we practiced writing our names for the first time. Yangyang was very quick to learn how to write his first name and last name. His penmanship has also improved greatly since then.”

Johnny pulled out the next paper, which was a more recent practice sheet with Yangyang’s name written on it several times in a dark pencil. Mr. Qian compared the two, seeming very pleased. He set the papers down and looked at Johnny expectantly, waiting for the next thing.

“Since Yangyang will be leaving this classroom and starting kindergarten next fall, we have begun to practice some vocabulary words to get all the kids ahead on their word recognition. I do a very informal assessment to see how each student is advancing and Yangyang has very quickly picked up on basic vocabulary.” 

Johnny pulled out a printed checklist and slid it across the table for Mr. Qian to look at. Mr. Qian picked it up and Johnny watched how his eyes scanned the page. He took his time and Johnny took this as an opportunity to continue.

“Yangyang does have some trouble recognizing a few of the three and four-letter words but that is expected at the moment. With more practice, he will know them in a few more months. I am very happy with the progress he’s made and you should be, too. He will adapt very well to kindergarten next fall.”

Mr. Qian looked up. He had a question. Johnny could see it on his face. “Mr. Seo,” he started, “How are the vocabulary words chosen?”

Johnny blinked.

That was not the question he expected. “Well, together―the other teacher and I―we choose words that we feel best fit the age range of our students and follow the preschool curriculum of the school. We like to keep the words within the same group of words.” Johnny motioned to the paper Mr. Qian was holding. “For example, with the word ‘at’, we will include words like ‘cat’ and ‘hat’, which go along with some of the books we have for the kids.”

Mr. Qian looked satisfied with the answer. He set the printed checklist down and slid it back to Johnny, who took it and set it aside, already reaching for the next thing. Mr. Qian looked towards Yangyang, who was entertained by the toys. His attention returned to Johnny as he slid over the next paper.

“This is a record of Yangyang’s behavior. I always tell parents how the kids were, but in your case, you have either heard from Mark or Jungwoo about Yangyang’s behavior each day when you come to pick him up,” Johnny said. His tone was a bit defensive and he paused, taking a deep breath. It was not Mr. Qian’s fault that they hadn’t met until now, he reminded himself. “Yangyang is very well-behaved. He plays well with the other kids and listens intently when one of us is speaking.”

“Right, right,” Mr. Qian murmured. He set the paper down and looked at Johnny, tilting his head to the side in question. “Mark and Jungwoo… are they teachers for this classroom, too?”

Again, not a question Johnny was ready for. Johnny smiled, hoping that Mr. Qian hadn’t picked up on his slight surprise. “Mark and Jungwoo are volunteers, in a way.”

Mr. Qian’s eyebrows raised. “Volunteers?”

“The university offers students the opportunity to help at the preschool as teachers’ assistants before they go off and become student-teachers more formally,” Johnny said, hoping that was enough to satisfy Mr. Qian’s curiosity.

It was because Mr. Qian hummed in acceptance. “That is very interesting,” he said.

“Yes…” Johnny cleared his throat. He opened up the folder again and pulled out the next paper. It was a flyer that Johnny had printed the day before, designed by him over the last few nights. Mr. Qian took it and looked at it with a smile. “Well, Mr. Qian, we have been planning a day of celebration before the kids get ready to leave for the end of the year. We would be very pleased if you can come to celebrate with us. The event will be towards the end of November, right before the long holiday. The other teacher and I will set up the classrooms to showcase the work that the students will be preparing over the next few days.”

“This is very nice,” Mr. Qian said. He looked up at Johnny. “If I am unable to come during the time it says here?”

Johnny bit back the sound of surprise that almost came out. “We would understand completely. The day will be a fairly regular day and parents will be able to pop in at any time to take a look around and spend some time with the kids.”

“I do think I will be able to come,” Mr. Qian said. “Thank you, Mr. Seo.”

“Of course,” Johnny said, bowing his head a little. He closed the folder and pushed the tiny chair back. He stood up and Mr. Qian followed. “That is all I have for you today. Unless you have any questions?”

Mr. Qian seemed to think about it but then shook his head. “No, no questions from me,” he answered with a small smile.

“Alright,” Johnny said. He carefully stood up, Mr. Qian following. “Well, thank you for making time to visit the classroom.”

“It’s been a pleasure,” Mr. Qian answered. He collected the papers Johnny handed him, holding them close. “Yangyang always talks about how fun school is and I think I can see why that might be.”

This caught Johnny by surprise but he said nothing. He didn’t know if he was talking about the classroom or… him? No…

Johnny looked towards Yangyang instead.

“I guess we should be going,” Mr. Qian said after a moment, smoothing over his previous statement like it was nothing.

They began making their way back to the door. As they passed through, they stopped where Yangyang was. He had set up a small building made from blocks and had some of the toy cars in his hands. He stopped when he noticed them.

“Is it time to go?” Yangyang asked, pouting already.

“Yes,” Mr. Qian said with a nod. 

Yangyang let out a small grumble but dropped the cars and stood up, going to his father. Mr. Qian tutted and motioned for Yangyang to turn around.

“Clean up the mess you made, please,” he said, making Yangyang grumble again. “Mr. Seo is not going to clean it up for you.”

Johnny was quick to jump in. “Oh, Mr. Qian, it’s all right,” he said with a smile. He looked at Yangyang, who was putting away the cars he had taken out. “Yangyang, it’s okay. I’ll clean it up.”

Mr. Qian made a small noise of protest. “No, Mr. Seo, please,” he said. He gave Johnny a small smile. “Yangyang will finish it up. You deserve a small break from having to clean after this one all day.”

Yangyang’s hopeful expression shattered and he went back to cleaning up, carefully taking down the block building and putting them away. Johnny watched as Yangyang put the large bins back in their spots.

“Thank you so much, Yangyang,” Johnny said as Yangyang finally made his way over to his father. “I appreciate you doing that.”

Despite grumbling about it, a big smile spread across the small boy’s face. “You’re welcome, Teacher Johnny,” he said. He looked up at his dad. “Can we go now?”

“We’re leaving now,” Mr. Qian said. He looked at Johnny again. “Thank you, Mr. Seo. Have a great night.”

Johnny followed them to the classroom door, opening it and holding it for them. Mr. Qian stepped out and Yangyang followed, taking his father’s offered hand. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Qian,” he said. He looked at Yangyang. “I will see you tomorrow morning.”

“Say good night to Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian encouraged.

Yangyang waved up at Johnny with his free hand. “Good night, Teacher Johnny.”

“Good night,” Johnny said with a smile.

He watched them leave the small hallway and go towards the gate. Mr. Qian unlatched it and stepped out, Yangyang following. They disappeared into the main office building and Johnny stepped back into the classroom, letting the door close behind him.

While Yangyang had cleaned up the toys he had taken out, there was still much for Johnny to do before he could go home and rest. He sighed and stepped further into the classroom, going to his phone to play some music while he finished up the remaining tasks for the day.

Mark and Jungwoo always tidied up as best as they could before they left for the day, and Johnny was eternally grateful. All the tables were wiped down and everything was washed. All that was left to do was check over everything and prepare for the next day.

He collected the things from the table he and Mr. Qian were sat at and put them away in his bag, making a mental note of leaving them in his office before he left.

As part of the end of the day routine, Johnny checked all the toy bins and made sure everything was in place, fixing the ones that weren’t. He arranged the books in the small library. He pulled out the vacuum and went around the classroom, picking up any crumbs dropped during snack times or dirt that the kids had brought in from outside.

He wiped down the small whiteboard and wrote in the things for the next day, changing the date and the schedule, as well as writing the words they would go over. He put a few cute magnets up to brighten it up.

It was the last thing he did.

He took his phone off the Bluetooth speaker and turned the speaker off. He grabbed his bags and made his way to the door.

One last look over the classroom.

As always, Johnny felt a sense of pride in his classroom.

He smiled to himself and pushed the door open, flicking the light to the classroom off as he stepped out into the small hallway.

He looked across the hallway and peeked into the large window that showed the inside of Taeyong’s classroom. He could see him still going around picking up.

Johnny crossed the hall and pushed open the door, poking his head in. Taeyong stopped and looked up at him.

“Oh, hey,” he said.

Johnny smiled. “Almost done?” he asked. “I can wait.”

Taeyong looked around the room, hands on his hips. He let out a small huff. “Well, if you could, that would be great.”

“Or… I’ll help you,” Johnny said, stepping into the classroom. It seemed that whatever activities Taeyong had done had been quite messy, leaving his classroom in complete disarray. He set his bags down by the door and moved to pick up the scattered books on the large circle rug Taeyong had.

He returned the books to the small shelves Taeyong had in the corner, picking up a few other things as he went and returning them to their original spots.

Together, they cleaned up the small classroom in a few minutes. Johnny collected his bags and waited by the door, watching as Taeyong hurried around, stuffing his belongings into his bag, giving the room one last look over.

“I think we’re good,” he said, going to stand by Johnny.

Johnny pushed open the door and stepped out into the small hall. Taeyong flicked the light off in the classroom, walking out behind Johnny.

“You had a parent check-in today?” Taeyong asked as he locked his door. His keys jingled when he pulled them from the handle. He stuffed them into his coat pocket. Johnny hummed in response, getting Taeyong’s attention. “How’d it go?”

“It was… interesting,” Johnny said.

There was no other way to describe it.

For nearly two months, Johnny hadn’t been able to meet Yangyang’s father and now that he had, he wasn’t sure what to think.

Kun Qian.

He repeated the name a few times in his mind.

“Interesting,” Johnny repeated when Taeyong raised his eyebrows in question. He gave him a small push, making him laugh. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

* * *

Interesting was the only way to put it.

Johnny was still thinking about Mr. Qian when he got home.

And he didn’t stop. Not when he pushed open the front door to his small house, not when he took off his shoes and coat, putting them away. 

Even as Johnny wandered into the kitchen and pulled out leftovers from the night before, he couldn’t seem to push away Mr. Qian.

Interesting, he repeated in his mind.

As he waited for his food to reheat in the microwave, he leaned back against the kitchen counter, thinking. Mr. Qian…

It wasn’t like Johnny to think about his students’ parents this… extensively. But there was something this particular parent, something about Mr. Qian that seemed to just draw Johnny in.

The beeping of his microwave brought him back to reality. He jumped up, pulling the door open and carefully taking the food out, feeling the bottom of the bowl burn. He set it on the counter, frowning down at the spaghetti in the bowl.

He waited for a moment and then picked it up, moving to his living room.

Settling into the couch, Johnny was able to push the thoughts of Mr. Qian away. He reached for the remote, turning the TV on and starting one of the shows he had been watching earlier this week. He ate and watched mindlessly in silence.

His house was quiet. But it was always that way.

It was a small place. Only one bedroom and one bathroom. It was enough for him, but sometimes he did miss living in a larger space with more people. His parents lived a mere fifteen minutes away but he didn’t want to impede on them. He had thought about getting a pet but with his work, he wouldn’t have the energy to properly take care of any animal. He hardly even took care of the plants around his house.

As much as he loved working with kids, it drained him some days and he preferred to just come home and rest. And even if he wasn’t drained, there were always lesson plans to work on or assessments to do.

He enjoyed it though.

It gave him something to do at home when he couldn’t be bothered to work on his hobbies and other projects.

It was a while before Johnny finished the episode and his food. He was beginning to feel the exhaustion but he still had some work to do before he could sleep. He got up and went back to the kitchen, washing everything and tidying around a bit.

Quiet.

Only the pattering of his footsteps sounded through the house.

He turned off all the lights and wandered into his room, flicking the lights on there. The bedroom was large enough to fit his bed and a desk with extra storage. He had a few photos hanging around but nothing else that was all that elaborate for decoration.

He sat down at his desk, booting up his computer. He reached for some folders in a drawer, pulling the papers within them out.

There was another parent check-in to prepare for tomorrow. It would be for Jeno.

He sighed, waiting for his computer to start up. It was a slow thing now, but still reliable and Johnny would use it until he could no more.

Quiet again.

Just the slight hum coming from the CPU. Johnny tapped his fingers against his desk, staring at the monitor. 

When he was prompted to log in, he typed in his pin and waited again in silence.

There was always something a bit unsettling of being home.

He realized that he spent most of his day at the preschool. He got up early to be able to have everything ready for parents that dropped their kids off extremely early and he was sometimes one of the last teachers to leave for the day. By the time he arrived home, it was nearing eight or nine.

With another sigh, Johnny brought his hand over the mouse, dragging the cursor on the monitor to the web browser. As it loaded, he pulled out his earbuds from their case and put them in, shuffling his music, just to give him something to listen to besides his breathing and the lone, soft clicks of his mouse.

Johnny’s mother had commented on how quiet Johnny’s house was many times before.

“It’s like no one lives here,” she said. “You don’t even make a noise!”

He had known what she was implying then.

“Maybe it’s time to find someone to brighten the place up?”

Johnny wasn’t sure about that. He wasn’t sure about it then and he wasn’t sure about it now.

He knew that his parents wondered when Johnny would settle down, but he felt that it was still a while away. He wasn’t looking for anyone and nobody was seeking him out, at least not that he knew. His life revolved around mostly work and in this work, there weren’t many opportunities to meet people he might be interested in.

But it was fine. He enjoyed his time alone. He was comfortable this way.

He didn’t need extra noise in his life. He got plenty of noise at school, with all the kids running around and playing.

Sometimes he allowed himself to think about it though. Maybe someday, something like that would be waiting for him at home.

Johnny was close to the other teachers at school. Most of them were married. Some of them had children of their own. Johnny’s nearest and dearest friend and co-worker could be crossed off for both. Taeyong had gotten married a few years ago and his daughter had been born a year ago.

He had joked once that Johnny should begin thinking about it.

Having kids at home was much different than having them at work. It was different because they were always there, constantly crying and wanting something. 

Johnny almost laughed. He shook his head.

“No way,” he muttered, moving his attention back to his screen.

Just as he was about to type into the search bar, a notification appeared in the corner of his screen. It was an email. He opened it without looking at the sender.

He was very surprised at the message and even more so when an image showed up underneath it.

_Mr. Seo,_

_Yangyang showed me his work from today. It’s going up on the fridge. Thank you, from both of us._

The image attached below the short message was taken in portrait mode. Yangyang was holding his small finger painting in his hands, a bright smile on his face. The lighting was a bit yellow and behind him, Johnny could see what looked like a TV and a couch, a shelf against the wall.

He studied the image for a while.

Mr. Qian, huh…

Johnny wondered if it was appropriate for him to respond to it. Probably not.

But against his better judgment, he clicked the small reply arrow and typed away.

_We had a great time. There will be similar activities coming soon. Yangyang is quite the artist. Make some room on the fridge because there will be more artwork to display!_

* * *

Emails from Kun Qian became frequent.

Johnny grew to expect them. He didn’t know why or when it began, but every couple of nights, he felt his chest grow tight and his breath catch in his throat just as he received them.

The small notification appeared in the corner of his screen and he clicked on it, feeling anxious yet excited at the same time.

Most times, Mr. Qian emailed him with questions about activities for the next day or to let Johnny know that he would be dropping Yangyang off a bit earlier or a bit later than usual. He hadn’t received another image of Yangyang. It seemed like that had been a one-time thing, which Johnny decided was for the better.

While Johnny appreciated parents that communicated with him frequently, he knew that Mr. Qian was perhaps communicating with him more than what might be seen appropriate. Nothing personal was ever exchanged in their emails, but Johnny knew that they could easily cross the line.

He was tiptoeing on it. As a parent, Mr. Qian couldn’t be blamed for anything. Everything would fall on Johnny as the teacher. Johnny knew that, but he couldn’t ignore Mr. Qian, right?

If Mr. Qian had questions or wanted to let him know something regarding Yangyang, Johnny was obligated to reply.

But if it was not about Yangyang… did Johnny have to answer?

He asked himself this question as he stared at the email in front of him now.

It was not addressed to him. It had no name that could indicate who it was meant for. Johnny realized this very quickly but he had already seen the message and couldn’t take back what he had seen.

_I’m interested in someone, but that is none of your business. Please, can we talk about what’s relevant here? It’s frustrating that you’re avoiding this._

Johnny closed out of the message. He deleted it and then cleared it from his trash folder.

That was not meant for him. But he had read it.

What it meant was none of Johnny’s business but he felt something begin to build, starting deep in his stomach and crawling up to his chest.

He brought a hand to his chest, wondering what this feeling was. He got up from his desk, leaving his work for a moment and walking around his room, but the feeling remained.

It was not his business.

But why…?

He had never felt this way. It was reminiscent of something familiar, but it was also something he realized was not right. Perhaps these things had been lying underneath the surface and were beginning to come out now.

More than the emails now, there was something that happened when they saw each other, during the drop-offs and pick-ups. Johnny was not so oblivious that he didn’t see the way Mr. Qian looked at him with wide, curious eyes and a teasing smile playing on his lips. It was clear that there was something there.

And there was no doubt that Johnny found Mr. Qian attractive. There was no denying this, but Johnny couldn’t see Mr. Qian that way. He was the parent of a student and being interested in him was inappropriate on many levels.

Johnny pushed the thought away, stopping in front of his desk and grabbing his phone. He called up Taeyong, who picked up after a few rings with a tired ‘hello’.

“Hey, I need help,” he said.

Taeyong’s voice seemed to brighten up. Johnny could just imagine him sitting up in bed, ready to listen as always. “Tell me, Johnny,” he said.

With a sigh, Johnny began.

* * *

“Hyung, Yangyang’s dad wants to speak with you before he takes him,” Mark said. He passed behind Johnny, patting him on the shoulder.

Johnny looked away from what he was doing and towards the classroom door. It was open and in the doorway was Kun Qian. He raised his hand and waved at Johnny.

Johnny looked down at his hands, realizing that he couldn’t wave back. He quickly washed his hands and turned the faucet off. He snatched a paper towel from the dispenser and dried his hands, tossing the used towel in the bin.

He made his way to the classroom door. “Mr. Qian,” he said. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Mr. Qian smiled. “Please call me Kun,” he said.

Johnny made a small sound of surprise, quickly covering it up by clearing his throat. “Kun?” he tried.

In front of him, Mr. Qian smiled. “Is it alright if I steal a bit of your time?”

“Of course,” Johnny said. He looked behind him, seeing the kids that remained. “Uh…”

He spotted Jungwoo in the corner, a book in hand, reading very enthusiastically to the small group sitting around him. Mark had gone to pick up the toys, though it looked like he had been roped into playing with some of the boys, Yangyang included.

It took a moment but Jungwoo eventually looked up at him, closing the book. He looked past Johnny, at Mr. Qian, mouth forming a small ‘oh’.

Johnny raised his eyebrows and Jungwoo nodded, giving him a subtle motion to step out. None of the kids seemed to notice their silent exchange, too busy trying to pick the next book that Jungwoo would read to them.

Johnny turned back to… Mr. Qian. “Please, let’s step out into the hallway,” he said.

Mr. Qian stepped back into the hall and Johnny followed, closing the door behind him quietly. He smoothed down the front of his sweater and pushed back the hair that had fallen out of the place before looking up towards Mr. Qian.

“Is there something I can do for you?” Johnny asked, keeping his tone friendly and light. He offered a smile.

He had interacted with hundreds of parents over his career and this interaction could go several hundred ways. But from the smile that slowly appeared on Mr. Qian’s face, Johnny could eliminate about half.

“Well, you see, Mr. Seo,” he began, “It has come to my attention that Yangyang might have said something to you earlier this week.”

Johnny tilted his head. “Yangyang?” he asked.

Mr. Qian nodded.

Johnny thought about it.

Yangyang said a lot of things to him. He heard thousands of things from all the kids. Remembering specific things they said was difficult unless it was a memorable exclamation they made. There wasn’t anything that had stood out to Johnny throughout the week, at least not enough that Mr. Qian would have to speak to him… unless…

He remembered two days ago when Yangyang had arrived. Mr. Qian had dropped him off, giving Johnny and his assistants a small wave. Yangyang had rushed in, pulling off his backpack and tossing it into his cubby. Before Johnny could ask him to hang it up on the hook nicely, Yangyang had run up to him, pulling on his hands eagerly.

“Teacher Johnny! My dad thinks you are very handsome!”

The laughs that Mark and Jungwoo had let out were boisterous and Johnny had to glare at them as his entire face grew warm. He wanted to laugh but he held it back, trying to stay as serious as possible. If they laughed, Yangyang, and any of the other kids listening, would only be encouraged. Johnny didn’t want that behavior to become something regular.

It had taken over his mind for a few hours.

He hadn’t known where and how Yangyang had found that out. But he didn’t want to know… did he?

The blush on his face had disappeared after a few minutes but he still felt the heat that had crawled up his neck and to the tips of his ears for a while after that. When Yangyang had been picked up in the afternoon, Johnny hadn’t said anything. Yangyang had been wonderful, he told Mr. Qian.

He had forgotten about it later that night when he was home, pushing the words to the back of his mind. While Johnny had been surprised, it wasn’t the first time one of the students told him something so… interesting.

“Oh,” Johnny said, feeling the same heat from before making its way up his neck and to his face.

“Yeah,” Mr. Qian replied, sounding very regretful. Johnny could see that his ears were bright red. He let out an embarrassed laugh, scratching the back of his neck. “I am very sorry about that.”

“It’s not a problem at all.” Johnny gave Mr. Qian his best smile. “I won’t take it personally.”

Mr. Qian looked at him curiously. “Really?”

“Really,” Johnny answered.

He wondered just what Mr. Qian wanted him to say. Did he want Johnny to take it personally? Johnny held his breath for a second. That was a dangerous thought, he told himself. There was no way.

“Kids say a lot of ridiculous things,” he continued.

“Right,” Mr. Qian said. He pinched his lips. “Well, in any case, I wanted to apologize. In case, well… you know.”

Johnny did not know. He did not want to know what could’ve prompted Mr. Qian to say such a thing in the first place. He didn't want to know if he meant it. Johnny had pushed it out of his mind but now it was back, and this time, he wasn’t so sure he would forget about it as easily as before.

Johnny also wasn’t sure how to answer. He knew it was too late to come up with anything. A second of silence passed. He could feel it begin to get awkward. He smiled.

“Well,” he said, clapping his hands together, “I’ll get Yangyang for you.”

Mr. Qian nodded. Johnny reached behind him, grabbing the handle and turning. He pushed the door open and stepped back into the classroom.

“Yangyang,” he called, grabbing the attention of the small boy.

He looked up with wide eyes. Then, they moved to the person in the hall. “Dad!” he exclaimed, dropping the toy in his hand and standing.

He rushed over. Johnny moved aside, holding the door open for Yangyang to greet his father. Mr. Qian crouched a little, opening his arms. Yangyang crashed into him, his father’s arms wrapping around him and bringing him up, sitting him on his hip.

“I’ll get your backpack,” Johnny told Yangyang. He propped the door open with the small stopper, moving to the cubbies. He collected Yangyang’s backpack and coat, bringing them back.

Mr. Qian took them. He set Yangyang down, handing him his coat to put on.

“I’ll sign him out,” Mr. Qian said.

Johnny nodded. He watched as Yangyang struggled to put on his coat. He quickly jumped in, grabbing the coat and helping him stick his arm into the sleeve. He crouched down, tugging Yangyang until he was facing him. Johnny straightened the front and zipped up the coat.

“There you go,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, Teacher Johnny,” Yangyang replied. He looked up at his dad, one of his small hands reaching out to grab one of his. “Now?”

Mr. Qian nodded. He looked at Johnny once more. “You’re good with kids.”

Johnny chuckled. “That… is my job,” he said, biting the inside of his cheek.

Mr. Qian laughed. “Of course, right… preschool teacher… you teach kids.”

The pair left after their goodbyes, with Mr. Qian giving Johnny another gentle smile as they stepped out the doors that led to the outside. Johnny returned to his classroom, closing the door behind him. He felt something weird in his chest. He placed a hand over his chest, where his heart was. He felt fine, but at the same time, it was… odd.

He kept his hand over his chest as he walked to the corner where the books were. He sat on the large bean bag he had there, trying to figure out what was wrong. A few kids came up to him, but there must’ve been something noticeably wrong in his expression because Mark was quick to call them away, telling them they were about to play a game together.

“Something wrong?”

Johnny looked at Jungwoo, who was looking at him with wide, concerned eyes. “No,” he replied slowly. “I’m fine.”

“You like Mr. Qian?”

Jungwoo was organizing the books. Johnny had gotten a few donations from his mother over the weekend that he hadn’t sorted through yet. He had spotted some books he already had but didn’t pull them from the pile. At the beginning of the day, he had asked Jungwoo to do it when he had time.

He didn’t notice that Johnny jumped a little at his question. He was too busy looking at the book in his hand, mumbling something under his breath. It had been a passing question, something unimportant, perhaps to just make conversation with him. Jungwoo wasn’t focused on his answer if he was looking for one in the first place.

“I don’t like Mr. Qian,” Johnny said anyway, his voice sounding a bit defensive.

This made Jungwoo look away from the book. He stared at Johnny for a moment, clearly confused. “What?” he asked. He looked away, putting the book on the shelf. The expression remained on his face as he did so. “Something wrong with him? Mr. Qian?”

Johnny blinked. “Uh, no?”

Jungwoo hummed. “Well, then what? Why don’t you like him?”

“I do like him,” Johnny said. His face flushed. “I mean, he’s a parent… what of it?”

Jungwoo finally turned back at him. “Hm, something is suspicious,” he said, eyes narrowing.

“Nothing is suspicious,” Johnny said. His heart rate increased. He felt how hard and fast it was thumping in his chest. “Really.”

Jungwoo hummed again. He turned his attention to the books still on the floor. He collected them in his arms. “I’m going to go give these to Taeyong hyung,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be right back then.”

Johnny waved him off. “Thanks,” he muttered.

When he left, Johnny put his hand over his chest again. What was this?

He looked up and towards Mark, who was beginning to clean up some toys. It seemed like the kids had enjoyed his game for a moment before finding something better to move onto, spreading across the room to empty the rest of the bins.

Mark didn’t notice him looking. He was speaking to himself, lips turned down into a slight frown and eyebrows furrowed.

Johnny got up from the bean bag, dusting himself off. A few kids looked in his direction. He schooled his expression. Sweet, gentle, he reminded himself.

“Hey,” he said, getting the attention of a few more kids. “Let’s begin to clean up and we can go outside while we wait to get picked up.”

The kids cheered in agreement, already moving to put the bins into their places and tossing the toys back into them. He made sure that everything was in its spot and then he ushered everyone out, standing with Mark outside, watching the remaining kids run around freely. Jungwoo didn’t come back, probably taken by Taeyong, who still didn’t have any assistants of his own.

He didn’t mind.

There wasn’t much to do now.

He was invited to join a game of tag.

It distracted Johnny for the rest of the afternoon until the last kid was picked up.

* * *

Taeyong hummed once Johnny was done re-telling his realization of possible feelings. “Well, it sounds like you do like him,” he said. He bit into his pastry, sighing in content. “Ah, this is so good. You sure you don’t want one?”

Johnny shook his head. “I’m fine,” he murmured. He leaned on the table, crossing his arms on the wooden top, leaning in a bit. “Do you think so?”

“I mean, yeah,” Taeyong said, looking at him with a plain expression. “What else do you want me to say? That it doesn’t sound that way?”

Johnny shrugged. He wasn’t sure what answer he wanted to hear.

But maybe this was the answer that he needed to hear.

He took a sip of his coffee. It was rich. The coffee shop always used the best kind of beans and prepared his coffee just the way he liked it. It was getting a bit cold but it was still good.

Johnny held his cup, looking down at the coffee inside. He swirled it around, the dark brown catching the light from the hanging lamp above them. He saw his reflection for a moment. Lips pulled down into a small frown and eyebrows pulled together.

What was it about this that was bothering him so much?

He sighed. “Maybe you’re right,” Johnny said, catching Taeyong’s attention.

Taeyong hummed. “Of course I am,” he said, voice muffled from the pastry. He swallowed and set it down, wiping his hands on the napkin by his plate. “I mean, I don’t think that it’s… attraction? Maybe it’s because he’s closer to our age. Aren’t a lot of your parents much older than you?”

Johnny let out another sigh, slumping in his seat. “Yeah,” he murmured. “They are.”

“Then there you go,” Taeyong said.

Was that it? Mr. Qian was just more relatable to Johnny? And now… Did Johnny want to be friends with Yangyang’s dad?

He almost laughed. He couldn’t be friends with a student’s parents either. That was crossing a line that Johnny had set for himself when he started his career in teaching. There was a difference between being close to the parents of his students and being _close_ to them.

“Johnny,” Taeyong said, tilting his head to the side, lips turning down into a small frown. “You paying attention to me?”

Johnny sat up straight in his chair. “Sorry… what?”

“I asked if you had done all the posters yet.” Taeyong blinked. “So, have you?”

“I ordered them at the shop I went to last time,” Johnny answered, clearing his throat. He pushed away the thoughts of Mr. Qian. He took another sip of his coffee. “They should be ready by tomorrow. I’ll pick them up in the evening.”

“I went to the store and bought some of those paper decorations last night,” Taeyong started. He was frowning. “I thought they came premade. To my surprise, they did not. We stayed up making them all.”

“You did?”

Taeyong scowled. “Well, maybe not me, but Soo was very kind enough to stay up doing them.”

Johnny laughed, hiding his smile behind the rim of his cup. “Well, that was very nice of her. Please send her my thanks when you get home.”

“She is so much better at them. You’re going to know which ones are mine once you see them on Monday.”

“The parents are going to think the kids made them,” Johnny joked, earning another scowl from Taeyong.

They continued to talk for a bit longer, trying to avoid work. Taeyong kept straying towards things related to his classroom, but Johnny was quick to bring him back and change the subject. Like him, Taeyong was passionate about his classroom and put his all into teaching the kids. It was hard to not talk about work when they both enjoyed it.

Johnny offered to pay Taeyong back once they were finished, Johnny’s coffee cup empty and Taeyong’s plate bare from the pastries it once had. Taeyong tried to refuse, but Johnny was already transferring the money through his phone, thanking Taeyong for buying when they ordered earlier. A small ding from Taeyong’s pocket let Johnny know he received the money.

They waited for a moment. The topics they could talk about had dwindled throughout their small meal. Their silence was interrupted by the muffled ringing of Taeyong’s phone. A few people looked in their direction as Taeyong pulled out his phone, the ringtone now at full volume.

“Ah, Soo’s calling me,” Taeyong said, tapping on the screen and bringing it to his ear. He looked away from Johnny, turning in his seat. “Hello? Soo?”

Johnny caught his eye, motioning for him to step out before him. Taeyong did, mouthing an apology to Johnny, who only waved him off.

He waited for another moment. Then he slowly collected his things, pulling on his coat and grabbing his bag. He put his phone into his pocket as he stepped towards the exit.

“Woah.”

Johnny stopped and looked up. He came face to face with someone familiar.

“Mr. Qian,” he said automatically. He took a step back, motioning for him to go ahead. “Please.”

Mr. Qian looked at him curiously. “Mr. Seo, I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, tilting his head to the side.

Johnny couldn’t see Mr. Qian’s eyes properly. He was wearing a cap, the bill shading the upper half of his face. Even though Johnny couldn’t see the look in his eyes, he could see Mr. Qian’s gentle smile.

“It’s a coincidence,” Johnny said, tearing his eyes away from Mr. Qian’s smile. He peered over his shoulder and looked outside. He could see Taeyong, still on the phone. Taeyong didn’t notice him. “Uh…”

“Sorry, sorry,” Mr. Qian said, stepping aside. “You must be in a rush.”

Johnny looked at him again. Mr. Qian had his head turned up a bit, allowing Johnny to see his eyes now. “I’m not,” he said a bit too quickly. He let out a nervous laugh. “I mean, I was just stepping out to meet a friend, but he’s… taking a call.”

“Ah.” Mr. Qian looked over his shoulder. “The other teacher?”

“Yes,” Johnny replied. Mr. Qian looked back at him. “We were discussing something for our classrooms.”

“A teacher’s job never ends,” Mr. Qian said with a smile. Johnny couldn’t tell if it was teasing or not. “Well, Mr. Seo, I’m sorry to intrude, but may I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

Johnny expected Mr. Qian to ask him about the classroom, or about Yangyang. To his surprise, Mr. Qian’s question was nothing close to what Johnny expected. 

“What drink do you recommend from this place?” he asked. His smile remained and Johnny knew now that it was teasing. “It’s my second time here. I tried the Americano my first time.”

Johnny blinked a few times. “Uh… well, I always order their French press coffee.”

“Always?” Mr. Qian reached up and pulled off his cap, revealing his dark brown hair. It was matted down from wearing the cap. He ran his free hand through his hair, disheveling it a little. “You come here frequently?”

“Sometimes,” Johnny said. He bit the inside of the cheek, not wanting to reveal that he came here to work for a few hours every Saturday, sometimes with Taeyong, but more often than not, alone.

It seemed too personal a detail for him to reveal. 

“I see.” Mr. Qian smiled again. “Well, thank you for the recommendation.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll see you Monday,” he said, stepping around Johnny.

Johnny turned and looked at his back, confused. Monday?

Mr. Qian seemed to notice because he stopped and turned back to look at him. “I’ll be dropping Yangyang off at seven.”

“Of course,” Johnny said, stumbling over the words.

Mr. Qian let out a quiet laugh, turning back and going towards the counter to order. Johnny wasn’t close enough to hear and his attention was pulled away by his name being called.

He turned and found Taeyong, holding the door open. “Sorry, Johnny,” he said. “Soo’s car broke down. I’m going to have to run back. You okay walking back?”

Johnny nodded. “Yeah,” he said, feeling a little breathless. “Go ahead. I have to do something further uptown. I’ll see you Monday.”

Taeyong smiled and waved. He let the door close and Johnny saw him rush down the sidewalk towards the car parking down the street.

With a sigh, Johnny pushed open the door and stepped outside, feeling the cool air bite at his nose.

He looked over his shoulder but saw no one at the counter.

* * *

Monday morning came quickly.

Johnny was sorting through the decorations that he bought the day before, trying to figure out where to put what.

He held up a few fake pumpkins and twig bundles, imagining them on the tabletops. He discarded the idea. The kids would very quickly find them and grab them, thinking they’re toys. He would put them on the countertops, even though no one but him, Mark, and Jungwoo would see the decorations that way, it was the thought of celebration that counted.

Just as he was about to pull out another decoration, he heard the classroom door open. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Mark already greeting the pair that was standing there.

“Oh, Mr. Qian!” Johnny exclaimed as Mark left them. He stood and moved towards them. He spotted Yangyang, hiding behind his father’s legs. “Good morning, Yangyang!”

“Yangyang?” Mr. Qian said, gently grabbing Yangyang’s hand and pulling him so he was standing in front.

Yangyang looked up at him with big, sad eyes, but Mr. Qian only pinched his lips and hummed. Yangyang looked at Johnny with the same expression. “Good morning, Teacher Johnny.”

Even if Yangyang had said good morning, it didn’t seem to be one.

His voice was not as bright as usual. He seemed a bit glum. Johnny tried not to let his worry show on his face. Yangyang didn’t seem to notice Johnny’s expression falter as he looked back at his father.

“Wash your hands,” Mr. Qian said softly, giving Yangyang a small push.

Yangyang slowly trudged towards the sink. Mark was quick to stop what he was doing and help Yangyang.

Johnny looked at Mr. Qian. “Is Yangyang feeling well today?” he asked.

Mr. Qian sighed. “He’s not sick,” he said. There was an emptiness to his voice and it surprised Johnny. The few times he had spoken to Mr. Qian, he had always been bright and warm. “Yangyang is feeling down that he had to come home.”

Johnny’s eyebrows raised in question, but he did not ask. He let out a small “oh” and schooled his face into something neutral. It was not his business.

Still, Mr. Qian seemed to know that the question lingered because he spoke again. “Yangyang was with his… mother this weekend. It’s why I was out on Saturday when I ran into you at the coffee shop. He wasn’t with me.”

There was something sad about his tone and Johnny felt something in him want to reach out and comfort Mr. Qian. It was like an itch asking to be scratched.

Instead, Johnny hummed. “Well, maybe he’ll feel a bit better after seeing his friends,” he said with a smile, clapping his hands together.

“Of course,” Mr. Qian replied. “Have a good day, Mr. Seo.”

“Have a good day,” Johnny repeated, letting Mr. Qian leave the classroom. His words were swallowed by the quiet air around him. He closed the classroom door and went back to what he was doing.

But the lingering curiosity remained.

He hoped that Mr. Qian was able to have a good day. He did seem rather down. Johnny panicked for a moment, after realizing what he was thinking, but then… wasn’t he sincere with all parents? Of course, Johnny wished for him to have a good day.

There was no other meaning underneath it.

But Taeyong had carefully planted the thought. A simple thought that seemed to have sprouted overnight. A possibility that he hadn’t seriously considered before… 

Could he blame this on Taeyong though? Johnny had realized it before he had spoken to Taeyong this weekend. And he had tried to shake the attraction. He had tried to push away the thoughts.

Johnny liked all the parents that he came into communication with. He did tend to have more preference to those that were a bit more active in the children’s activities, but that was common, was it not? Maybe this was that, disguised as something else.

“Hyung,” Jungwoo’s voice chimed.

Johnny looked at him. “Huh?”

Jungwoo raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Can you help with the snacks?”

“Of course,” he replied. He quickly got back to work, pulling out the proper things from the refrigerator and going around to place the snacks on the plates before the kids.

He reached Yangyang, who was sitting in his seat, slumped over. His friends around him seemed to be engaged in an enthusiastic conversation, not noticing Yangyang’s mood.

“Hey,” Johnny said as he crouched down beside his chair. “You okay?” he asked.

Yangyang shrugged his shoulders. “I’m okay,” he said with a heavy sigh, slouching a bit in his seat.

It was cute and endearing, but Johnny was still a bit worried about him. “Are you sure?”

Another shrug. He was quiet for a moment. Johnny wondered if he would say anything else. He almost got up and continued with his snack distribution but then Yangyang reached out and grabbed the end of his sleeve.

“Teacher Johnny, I want to go home,” he said.

Johnny could see his bottom lip trembling and tears forming in his eyes. He quickly looked up and caught Jungwoo’s eye, waving him over. When Jungwoo approached, he held out the bag of bagels, which he took without hesitation.

Jungwoo smiled at the rest of the boys seated at the table, continuing what Johnny didn’t finish. Johnny pulled off his gloves and tapped Yangyang’s shoulder.

“Come here, Yangyang,” he said.

Yangyang stood up and followed behind Johnny. This did catch the attention of his friends, who began to exclaim out loud, only for Jungwoo to quiet them down. Johnny led Yangyang to the other side of the room, by the classroom door.

Johnny crouched down again, in front of Yangyang. He placed a hand on each of his shoulders. “Yangyang, what’s wrong?” he asked, voice gentle.

“I want to go home,” he repeated. He sniffled, shoulders rising and falling.

“Do you want me to call your dad?”

Yangyang shook his head. “No.” Fresh tears formed in his eyes. “I want my mom.”

Johnny was taken aback for a moment. He almost faltered, but he quickly gathered himself together. “Okay, Yangyang,” he said. “I’ll call your mom for you. Can you wait for a moment while I do that?”

Yangyang nodded. “I can wait,” he said.

“Okay,” Johnny said with a smile. He looked back at the tables. “Go sit and have your snack while I call your mom.”

“Okay,” Yangyang agreed.

Johnny gave him a pat on the back as he wandered back to the table. He sat down and was quickly bombarded by questions from the other boys. Jungwoo passed by, telling them to quiet down a little, and they seemed to calm down.

Jungwoo looked towards Johnny in question.

Johnny motioned to the phone that hung on the wall near the kitchenette entrance. Jungwoo nodded in response. Sometimes words were not needed for them to understand the situation.

Jungwoo continued to watch over the kids and Johnny made his way to the phone, pulling it off its base and bringing it to his ear.

He punched in the extension number for the front office. He did not have the contact information for Yangyang’s mother memorized like he had Mr. Qian’s, but he had seen it in the file. The front office would have it. If they didn’t, he would have to go to his office and get it himself, which he didn’t want to do at the moment since the kids were about to finish their snack time and begin to get rowdy again.

“Hello!” Irene’s bright voice chimed.

“Hey, Irene,” Johnny greeted in English.

“Johnny!” she exclaimed brightly. “How can I help you?”

“I need some contact info about one of my friends,” Johnny said. He looked at the kids, some of which looked at him curiously. He offered a smile before turning away. “Would you be able to get that for me?”

“Of course!” Irene answered. “I can look it up here. What is it that you need?”

“I’d like contact information about Yangyang Qian’s mom,” he said quietly. He waited for a moment, hearing Irene typing for a moment. “So she could pick him up… Is that possible?”

Irene hummed. “Hm, well,” she started, “It seems like we do have contact information for Yangyang’s mom, but we would have to notify Dad or have written permission from him before we release Yangyang into her care.”

“Ah,” Johnny sighed. “So it’s not possible?”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“It’s okay.” Johnny cleared his throat. “Well, thank you. I’ll call you back with an update, around eight o’clock.”

“Sorry again,” Irene said. “I’ll be waiting.”

The line cut off and Johnny put the phone back onto its base. He fixed the front of his sweater and walked to where Yangyang was sitting. He crouched down.

“Yangyang, would it be okay if you stayed for a bit longer today?” he asked quietly into his ear.

Yangyang turned his head to look at him. His wide eyes blinked a few times. “Why?”

“We have some fun activities planned today,” Johnny said immediately, trying to be as smooth as possible. “You don’t want to miss out, do you?”

Yangyang looked at his friends. They were looking at him.

“Yangyang,” Jaemin said, “Are you going home?”

“You’re going home already?” Jeno asked, tilting his head to the side. His lips turned down into a small pout. “Why?”

“No!” Yangyang exclaimed, bursting into a smile. “I want to play with you guys!”

Johnny smiled. “We can play soon.”

He stood up and walked around, speaking to some of the other kids and helping them clean up once they finished their snacks. He called Irene back, giving her an update on how many kids there were in his class today.

After about half an hour, everyone had cleaned up and had wandered to the toys, making a mess. Mark had left early, having a class around noon. Jungwoo had couped himself up in the kitchenette, using the small counter space to do an assignment.

Johnny was sat in the corner, book in hand, reading.

He received enthusiastic responses from the kids listening to him. He finished the book, setting it aside.

“Another one, Teacher Johnny!” one of the small girls called.

Johnny smiled. “Another?” he asked. “But what about the activity we had planned today? Don’t you want to play with your friends from Teacher Taeyong’s class?”

In response, he got a few exclamations. He stood and motioned for the kids to follow. He stopped in the middle of the play area.

“We have to clean first,” he said and very quickly, the kids got to work.

He looked around, eyes falling on Yangyang, who was taking down a makeshift racecourse he had built with Donghyuck and Jaemin. He seemed to be fine. Johnny was amazed at how quickly kids could get over something. He tried not to think of it much. It was not the first time that a student was in tears, wanting to see their parent, but Johnny had expected it to be Mr. Qian he wanted to see.

He was not sure about the situation and it wasn’t his business to know, but he wondered, just for a moment. He did know that Yangyang’s information had something about his mother, but he hadn’t thought about it much when he first read it. He got a handful of kids with similar information, but it never seemed to interfere with their time at school.

Johnny wondered if he would have to tell Mr. Qian when he came to pick up Yangyang for the day. He pushed the thought away, bringing his attention back to the kids. He jumped in to help, fixing the bins around the classroom.

When it was all done, he peeked out into the hall. He saw Taeyong on the other side, behind his door. His back was to Johnny but he turned around after a minute, making eye contact with Johnny.

Johnny opened the door and Taeyong mirrored him across the small hall. Behind Taeyong, Johnny could see all the kids lined up, their arms folded over their chests and their small index fingers over his lips. He looked over his shoulder at his kids, who were still scattered all around the class.

“Go ahead,” Johnny said, looking back at Taeyong. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Taeyong nodded. Johnny closed the door to his classroom as Taeyong led his kids outside.

“Okay, friends, please line up so we can go outside,” Johnny announced, turning around to look at his students.

It took a minute or two, but soon, there was a line in front of him. He clapped his hands, turning back and opening the door. He led everyone out.

Once they were out, Johnny got the kids to sit on the grassy area, next to Taeyong’s class. He stood beside Taeyong.

“Teacher Taeyong, do you want to explain what we’re going to do today?”

“Gladly!” Taeyong exclaimed. He looked at the kids with wide eyes filled with excitement.

* * *

A few parents were walking around with their children’s hands in theirs. The kids excitedly pointed to their works, showing their parents, who praised them in return.

It had been like this since the morning.

Johnny had seen a few parents come in right away as they dropped off their kids, taking a few minutes to look around and see what their kids had completed this half of the year. A few parents spoke to Johnny about this and that, casual conversations that he had in passing with most parents he met.

It was now nearing noon and now and then, a parent wandered in, their child running up to them to show them around. Johnny shared a few words with them and answered a few questions about the works he had taped up to the walls.

Most of the children’s parents had come already, but Johnny was sure that the remaining ones would come later in the afternoon or stick around when they came for pickups.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air today as there was every time Johnny held this event in his classroom. Some kids had been picked up early by their parents who had decided to take them after they looked around, but the ones that remained seemed to make up for their friends that were leaving. And then, some were only just arriving.

Yangyang came in with a determined look on his face a little later than usual, which Johnny had been informed of thanks to an email from Mr. Qian.

Johnny’s eyes moved from Mr. Qian, who was waving at the door, to Yangyang, who stopped right in front of him.

“Hey, Yangyang,” he said.

“Hi,” Yangyang replied. He brought his hand up to his lips and, in an attempt of whispering, told him: “Teacher Johnny, I have to tell you something very important.”

“Okay,” Johnny answered. He crouched down so he was eye-level with Yangyang. “Tell me.”

With a smile, Yangyang placed his small hands over Johnny’s shoulders. “My dad said that you were very handsome today,” he said.

Johnny’s gaze shifted from Yangyang to Mr. Qian, who was stepping out of the classroom and signing Yangyang in. Mr. Qian looked up at waved. Johnny returned the gesture with a smile before looking back at Yangyang. “Is that so?”

Yangyang nodded. “Yes,” he said. He dropped his hands from Johnny’s shoulders. “I think he likes you.”

“Okay, Yangyang, let’s put your things away,” Johnny said with a chuckle. He stood up and gave Yangyang a small push in the direction of the cubbies. Yangyang complied, not saying anything else as he organized his things. Johnny hummed in approval. “Now, please wash your hands.”

“Yes, Teacher Johnny,” Yangyang answered, already going to the sink.

Johnny took the opportunity to look out the window of his classroom. Mr. Qian was no longer there but Johnny still felt the smile slowly make its way onto his lips and his chest constrict a little.

He knew that children said ridiculous things but could it be possible that Yangyang was lying? Johnny shook that thought away. What reason would Yangyang have to tell him a lie like that?

There was still a lot of inner turmoil for Johnny and this was not helping him figure it out. There was the possibility that yes, Johnny was attracted to Mr. Qian and wanted to see more of him outside of their parent-teacher interactions. And with Yangyang’s words, it was difficult not to think that maybe, Mr. Qian also wanted that.

Johnny shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Not the right time or place to think of that, he reminded himself.

With a sigh, he brought his attention back to what was going on around him. He approached Anne, who was holding her father’s hand. “Mr. Lee, I’m very happy to see you here,” he said, capturing his attention.

“Mr. Seo!” he greeted. “Thank you for setting up the classroom this way. It’s very nice.”

Johnny smiled, making himself pay attention despite the thoughts that were still floating in his mind. He spoke to Mr. Lee for a few more minutes and then when another parent came in, he spoke to them, keeping the smile on his face.

He was distracted by the kids and then by the parents. It was a few hours of talking to parents and then helping the kids with the toys or taking a moment to read to them. He felt himself getting worn out as the afternoon approached and pick-up times came.

Soon, Johnny’s classroom was filled with the remaining parents of the students left in his classroom. He was speaking to Donghyuck and Jeno’s parents when he spotted someone enter the room.

“Excuse me,” he said, leaving them be and moving towards the door. He smiled. “Mr. Qian, I’m glad to see you.”

“I am, too,” was the answer Johnny received. Mr. Qian smiled and looked toward the wall that Johnny had used to pin up the students’ works. “It’s a nice little gallery.”

“Thank you,” Johnny said, trying to keep his voice steady. He took a step back, looking over his shoulder. “Let me just get Yangyang.”

Mr. Qian nodded, letting Johnny go. He approached Yangyang, who was playing with Jeno. They both looked up at him, waiting with wide eyes.

“Yangyang, your dad is here,” Johnny said.

“Oh!” Yangyang exclaimed. He stood up and looked around, seeming to spot his father immediately. He ran to him, throwing his arms around Mr. Qian’s legs. 

Johnny approached them, trying to keep his eyes anywhere but on Mr. Qian’s face. “Yangyang’s things are here,” he said, motioning to a spot on the wall.

He led them to it and Yangyang began to point out everything he liked from the things he had done over the last few months. Johnny smiled, silently excusing himself to go back and check-in with some other parents he hadn’t spoken to yet.

As the afternoon continued, more parents left, taking their kids with them, and Johnny made his way through the people that remained, making small talk here and there. He bid each of them goodbye as they left and wished them a nice four-day weekend.

The wall used to put everything up slowly began to look bare as everyone took their children’s things with them to display in their own homes.

“Let me help you take it down, Mr. Qian,” Johnny said as he noticed Mr. Qian beginning to slowly pull things down from Yangyang’s display board and put them in Yangyang’s backpack. He reached out just as Mr. Qian did, their hands bumping. “Ah, sorry.”

“No worries. Yangyang, hold this,” Mr. Qian said, handing Yangyang his painting. He looked at Johnny. “Thank you, Mr. Seo.”

“No problem,” Johnny answered as he continued to take the remaining things down. He handed some to Yangyang and the rest to Mr. Qian. “I hope you enjoyed the small gallery.”

Mr. Qian smiled. Johnny nearly flinched back as Mr. Qian’s hand brushed against his for a second time when he took the items. “I did,” he said. “Thank you for putting it together.”

“If it’s for the kids…”

“Anything for the kids,” Mr. Qian finished.

Johnny laughed. “Right, right.” He looked down at Yangyang. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I had fun,” Yangyang replied. He tilted his head, face scrunching together as he seemed to think. “Teacher Johnny, can you come to my house today?”

“What?” Johnny asked, another laugh coming out. He looked up at Mr. Qian, who was sending a look down at Yangyang.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian said, meeting Johnny’s eyes. “Yangyang… he, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Dad, I do!” Yangyang exclaimed, frowning up at his father. “You said that you wanted to ask Teacher Johnny to―”

“Yangyang,” Johnny interrupted gently, gaze shifting down to Yangyang. He spared a glance at Mr. Qian, who looked embarrassed and apologetic. “I’ll see you on Monday again, okay?”

Yangyang looked like he wanted to protest but he let out a dramatic, dejected sigh. “Okay,” he murmured.

“I’m sorry again, Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian said. “We’ll be going now. Thank you, once again, for putting everything together.”

“Of course,” Johnny answered. He motioned to the door and followed them, holding it open for them as they stepped out. “Have a good night.”

“Bye, Teacher Johnny,” Yangyang said with a wave of his hand.

“Good night, Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian said.

Johnny met Mr. Qian’s eyes. They were warm and genuine, as always. “Good night,” Johnny repeated, feeling a bit breathless this time.

Mr. Qian smiled and Johnny felt his entire face grow warm and his heart rate increase.

It took a few moments to collect himself. Even after speaking to the few parents left and helping them take down what was left on the wall, he was still thinking of Mr. Qian.

He wondered what Yangyang was going to say, but he had a feeling that he knew what it was. Johnny was sure that he wasn’t the only one that was interested. He couldn’t be, right?

As his classroom emptied and he began to clean, he laughed under his breath, thinking about Mr. Qian’s embarrassed reaction to Yangyang almost saying something so revealing.

It could never happen, but Johnny couldn’t help but entertain the thought.

Would it be nice? Getting to know Mr. Qian outside of this environment?

Johnny decided that it would be nice.

And it probably was wrong of him to think of it but for once, he allowed himself to break the rules he set for himself.

When he finished up and had his things ready, he looked at his phone, and there, waiting for him was an email from Mr. Qian.

Johnny felt his heart skip a beat and a silly smile form on his face. 

* * *

Johnny was ready to go home.

He had stayed another hour after the last student was picked up to make sure everything was ready for the last day of the year for the preschool. The start of December had come quickly and it was already time to prepare for winter break. Johnny wouldn’t see the kids until the following year.

He had his bag slung over his shoulder and his keys in hand. He locked the door and pulled it shut. As he turned, he heard a name call out his voice.

Johnny jumped, bringing a hand to his chest. “Oh, Mr. Qian,” he said as he found Mr. Qian at the end of the hall, by the double doors that led outside. It had been nearly three hours since Yangyang had been picked up by Mr. Qian. “Is something wrong?”

Mr. Qian looked rather nervous.

“Yes, um, Mr. Seo,” he began, “I wanted to know if I could speak to you for a moment regarding Yangyang.”

“Of course,” Johnny said. Despite the sudden nerves he felt and the tension building in his muscles, he kept his tone light and smooth as to not alert Mr. Qian that he was a bit anxious. He motioned to the door. “Please. We can speak in my office in the main building.”

He led Mr. Qian out and into the main building. He gave Irene a quick greeting. She looked a bit surprised and confused, but said nothing, only smiling at them as they passed through and to the back, where a staircase led to the second floor.

The teacher’s offices were rather cramped and small. There were eight official teachers at the preschool and only six offices. Johnny had been lucky enough to get an office of his own. The two largest rooms had been split between two teachers each.

Johnny was hardly ever in his office. None of the teachers were. It was the reason that they never really complained about the size of them. He came in the morning and sometimes in the evening, just before he left, to collect or drop off documents.

He opened the door and flicked the light on. He let Mr. Qian in.

“I’m sorry for the mess,” Johnny said, taking in his office. There was an empty coffee cup on his desk and some folders and other papers he hadn’t put back. He left the door open a bit, moving to the desk and collecting everything. He looked at Mr. Qian, who was sitting in the lone chair in front of the large wooden desk. “Uh, would you like a water bottle or something?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Mr. Qian replied with a small smile. He looked away, allowing Johnny to put everything away.

He placed everything aside and threw away the empty coffee cup on his desk, as well as the ones he found scattered around the floor, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. He sat down in his chair, folding his hands over the desk. “Now, how can I help you?”

Mr. Qian looked at him with a hesitant smile. Johnny wasn’t sure if there was any other way to describe it. “I’m afraid that Yangyang will not be coming back next year,” he said.

It was not what he was expecting. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. But he was taken aback. “I’m… sorry?”

Mr. Qian leaned in a little. “I know that this is a bit too personal, but I will be graduating again soon,” he said.

“Oh?” Johnny moved back a little. ‘Again’ implied that Mr. Qian had already graduated once. Johnny was a bit surprised. “Is that so? Congratulations.”

“I know that your teacher’s assistants have been curious,” Mr. Qian said. His tone was a little teasing. “So, please relay that information to them.”

“O-of course,” Johnny said. “You’ll be graduating as part of this winter’s class?”

“Yes,” Mr. Qian answered. “Next week.”

“Mr. Qian, congratulations, again. And as for Yangyang… he has been a great kid and I know that he will flourish in any program he’s a part of,” Johnny said.

He wasn’t sure what else to say if there was anything else to say.

It was sudden. At least for Johnny. Mr. Qian had known this the entire year. Mr. Qian had known that Yangyang would only be here for four months and then that would be it. Once he graduated, there would be no need for Yangyang to come here when he could be part of a program that was closer to home or elsewhere. But for Johnny, it was new information, and if he was honest with himself, it was a bit… sad.

Beyond his growing interest in Mr. Qian, Yangyang truly had been a great kid to have and Johnny was going to miss having him running around. He knew that Yangyang’s friends would also wonder what happened to their dear friend when they returned and he didn’t.

“Yes,” Mr. Qian said. He cleared his throat. “The new program… maybe you could tell me if it’s any good?”

Johnny hummed. “Yeah, of course,” he answered. “Tell me about it.”

They discussed it for a few more minutes. The new program Mr. Qian had signed Yangyang up for was a good one. One of Johnny’s former co-workers was there and Johnny assured Mr. Qian that it was great. Yangyang would do fantastic there.

The conversation dwindled and Johnny was left, silently wondering if this was it.

It seemed like it would be. Mr. Qian stood up with a heavy sigh.

“I want to sincerely thank you, Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian said. “You’re a wonderful teacher and Yangyang loves coming to school because of you.”

Johnny laughed, waving his hands. “Ah, no.” He looked away. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Qian.”

Mr. Qian didn’t say anything for a moment. He tilted his head to the side. “Kun,” he said. Johnny met his eyes again. “Please call me Kun. You’ve never done so, Mr. Seo.”

“Ah…” Johnny stood up from his chair. “Kun then.”

Mr. Qian seemed pleased if the smile on his face was anything to go by. He stepped away and moved towards the door, Johnny following.

“Thanks,” Mr. Qian said as Johnny opened it for him. He placed a hand on Johnny’s bicep. “Have a nice winter break.”

“You as well,” Johnny said, feeling his chest tighten and his breath catch in his throat. “I’ll see you.”

Johnny realized how dumb that sounded as Mr. Qian stepped out with a soft laugh.

“I’m sorry… I meant―”

“No worries, Mr. Seo,” Mr. Qian interrupted. He grinned. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Johnny repeated, voice a bit quieter as he watched Mr. Qian walk down the hall and the stairs, disappearing.

Johnny went home that night, wondering if that had been it.

He waited, but nothing came.

It left an odd feeling in his chest.

* * *

New Year’s day was a few days away and Johnny was trying to enjoy the calm before the storm that came with a new year.

He was at the coffee shop. There was no Taeyong this time. He had gone back to South Korea for a few weeks to see his parents and celebrate with them. Johnny was alone but he didn’t mind much. The coffee shop was a bit empty and it was peaceful. He would be able to work on some things for the upcoming year and get ahead of the curve.

But for the moment, he eyed the display as he waited in line to order, looking at the small pastries available. He was so focused on the croissants that he almost didn’t feel the tap on his shoulder.

He turned. He held his breath as he realized who was there.

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother, but do you have any recommendations for what to get here?”

Johnny blinked a few times. It couldn’t be real.

“It’s only my third time here.”

“Mr. Qi―”

“I’m sorry,” he said. Underneath the lights, it looked like his eyes were twinkling. “Have we met before?”

Johnny was stunned into silence. He fumbled to say something. “I, we… No?” he asked.

“I’m Kun.”

Mr. Qian… No… Kun offered his hand. Johnny took it after a moment’s hesitation.

“Johnny,” he said. He felt a bit dazed. He looked at… Kun’s soft smile as he pulled his hand back. Warm and genuine, as always. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Johnny,” he replied.

“Next,” the barista said, bringing Johnny back.

Johnny moved up to the counter and ordered his coffee quickly, handing over a bill. He looked back as he waited for the young man behind the counter to count his change. “I recommend the latte,” he said.

“Thanks.”

“Sure,” Johnny said. He turned back, collected his change and went to find a table.

His name was called and he went to get his drink from the counter, feeling the cup warm up his hands. He settled back into his seat and opened up his laptop. Immediately, he went to his email and looked through things that were sent over a month ago, wanting to see something.

Johnny had tried. It had been nearly three weeks and still, he could only think of one person and the things that he probably should’ve said that night.

“Hey,” he heard.

Johnny closed out of the thing he was reading and looked up. In front of him was Kun, holding a latte. His expression was teasing, but also a bit shy.

“Can I sit here?”

“Go ahead,” Johnny said. He closed his laptop. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” Kun replied as he sat down. He smiled. “Doing some work?”

Johnny held back a smile. “Something like that.”

They spoke for a few hours. Johnny found out so many things about Kun.

This was Kun, he told himself as he listened to everything he said. And Johnny, as he expected, was completely amazed by it all.

Their drinks were finished and the coffee shop had cleared out considerably once they realized they should probably get going. Johnny packed up his things as Kun did something on his phone.

When he finished, he looked up and saw Kun offering his phone to him.

“I’d like to talk more if you’re okay with that,” he said.

Johnny took the device and typed in his number, saving it. He handed Kun back his phone. “I’d like that,” he answered. He pulled out his phone as well, creating a new contact and sliding it over for Kun to fill out. He smiled as Kun saved his number. “I’ll send you a text.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Kun answered teasingly.

They got up and walked towards the exit together. Outside, they were hit by the cold air but Johnny felt warm.

Just as he was about to say goodbye, Kun turned and looked at him seriously. “I do have to tell you something.”

Johnny took a small step back. “What is that?”

Kun’s expression softened. He pulled out his phone and pressed the home button, waking it up. He showed it to Johnny. He wasn’t sure what to look at. His wallpaper was a photo of Yangyang and a dog, but there was nothing that stood out about it. And then Johnny realized that…

“You have a son,” he said. Even though Johnny already knew this, there was still some surprise to his tone.

“I do,” Kun replied. “I hope that’s not an issue.”

“Like I told you inside… I’m a teacher,” Johnny answered. He bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his laughter. “I’m good with kids.”

“Is that so?” Kun smiled. He pocketed his phone. His smile disappeared and he shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Is it not an issue?”

“Not at all, Kun,” Johnny answered. “We’ll take it little by little.”

And even though Kun nodded in agreement, a second later, Kun was leaning in. He gave Johnny a quick kiss on the cheek, pulling back with an embarrassed laugh.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time now.”

“We’ve only known each other for three hours?” Johnny asked, his tone teasing.

Kun laughed, taking a step back. “I have to go now,” he said. “I’ll call you.”

“Bye,” Johnny said.

Johnny watched as Kun turned and continued to walk down the sidewalk, eventually disappearing around a corner. It was not the last he would see of Kun.

That was enough to keep him warm as he made his way home.

* * *

“Does Yangyang even remember me?” Johnny asked.

It had nearly been a year since Johnny had seen Yangyang. He was surprised that he had gone so long without seeing him. When they had discussed it, Kun had said that it would almost be impossible for Yangyang not to see Johnny, but so far, they had done it.

And it had been long enough now. Kun had decided that it was time to re-introduce Johnny.

“Of course he does,” Kun replied. He smiled and squeezed Johnny’s hand. “What are you worried about?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny answered.

Kun opened the door without saying anything else and called out for Yangyang, who appeared at the bottom of the staircase, Sicheng a few steps behind him.

“Dad!” he exclaimed. But before he could run over to hug Kun, his eyes landed on Johnny. “Teacher Johnny?”

“Hi, Yangyang,” Johnny said. “How are you?”

“Why are you here?”

“Yangyang!” Kun exclaimed. He let go of Johnny’s hand, looking at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, Johnny.”

“It’s okay,” Johnny answered. He looked at Yangyang. “I’m friends with your dad, Yangyang.”

“Friends?” Yangyang asked. His eyes narrowed and he pinched his lips a little. “Or boyfriends?”

“Yangyang,” Sicheng said. He took Yangyang by the shoulders and led him to the living room.

Kun sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“What for?” Johnny asked. “Are we not boyfriends? He’s right to assume that.”

From the living room, they heard Sicheng let out a wordless exclamation and then pattering footsteps. “I knew it!” Yangyang said, appearing in front of them again. He looked at Johnny. “How long have you been boyfriends?”

“Not that long,” Johnny said. He laughed at Yangyang’s unconvinced expression. “That’s not something you should worry yourself with.”

“Teacher Johnny―”

“You can call me Johnny.”

Yangyang looked amazed. “Just Johnny?”

“Try it out,” Johnny said.

“Johnny, I have something to tell you,” Yangyang said. He motioned for Johnny to come closer. He did, letting Yangyang bring his hand up to his ear. And then he whispered: “I told you my dad liked you.”

Johnny laughed.

“What?” Kun asked. “What did he tell you?”

“Nothing,” Johnny answered with a wave of his hand. “That’s a secret.”

Yangyang smiled at Kun. “Yeah, Dad, it’s a secret!”

“Don’t worry about it, Kun,” Johnny said. He looked at Yangyang, feeling himself soften a little. “Hey, Yangyang, let’s go watch a movie. Your uncle told you we’d be watching one, right?”

He offered his hand and Yangyang took it, pulling him to the living room. “Yes, he told me!” Yangyang exclaimed. He pulled Johnny onto the couch and cuddled up next to him.

When Yangyang had been in his class, he had done something similar. When Johnny would read, sometimes the kids would come up and sit next to him, usually Yangyang and Donghyuck, taking up his sides and sticking to him like glue. But it felt a bit different now. Johnny was not here as Yangyang’s teacher.

Johnny let himself wrap an arm around Yangyang.

He looked down at him. Yangyang turned his head up and blinked a few times.

“Hey, Johnny,” he whispered, “Are you going to be my dad?”

Johnny was a bit surprised. He bit his bottom lip, thinking. After a moment, he looked towards Kun, who had walked in and was helping Sicheng set up the television. He brought his attention back to Yangyang. “Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Yangyang answered. He snuggled closer. “But not now, please.”

“Not now,” Johnny repeated. “Okay. Little by little.”

“Yeah, little by little,” Yangyang agreed. “You need to be married first.”

“You think your dad likes me enough to do that?”

Yangyang laughed. He pushed himself up and brought his hand up to Johnny’s ear. “Yes, I think so,” he whispered.

“More secrets?” Kun asked.

“Definitely,” Johnny answered. “Yangyang and I only.”

He smiled at Kun, who looked back at him with suspicion, but after a moment, it disappeared and he had a gentle expression on his face.

“Fine, fine,” he said. “I’ll find out what is it you’re planning together later.”

Johnny knew that it would be a long time before Kun found out these secrets if they were together long enough for him to do so.

But looking at Kun now, seeing how Yangyang cuddled up to him when he sat down, and feeling the warmth that blossomed in his chest at the sight, Johnny knew that day would come someday.

There was no need to doubt this.

They were moving a bit slow, but little by little, everything would fall into place.


End file.
